Classic TV Westerns- Bronco (1958–1962)

[ethanedwards]

BRONCO

PRODUCED BY WILLIAM T. ORR
WARNER BROTHERS TELEVISION

..

Information From IMDb

Full Cast
Ty Hardin ... Bronco Layne (68 episodes, 1958-1962)
Morris Ankrum ... Dan Peppin / ... (5 episodes, 1958-1961)
Robert Colbert ... Arron Running Deer / ... (5 episodes, 1959-1962)
Mike Road ... Cpl. Rod Evans / ... (5 episodes, 1959-1962)
and many more, notably:-
Denver Pyle, Jack Elam, Leo Gordon
Alan Hale Jr., James Coburn, Karl Swenson
and Lee Van Cleef amongst others...

Series Directed
Lee Sholem (16 episodes, 1958-1961)
Robert Sparr (7 episodes, 1960-1962)
Alan Crosland Jr. (6 episodes, 1958-1959)
and many others..

Series Produced
William T. Orr .... executive producer (68 episodes, 1958-1962)
Sidney Biddell .... producer (unknown episodes)
Charles Hoffman .... producer (unknown episodes)

Series Writing Credits
Gerald Drayson Adams (7 episodes, 1959-1962)
Arnold Belgard (6 episodes, 1959-1960)
and many more....

Trivia
Premiered on ABC on 23 September 1958. Its 68th and final episode aired on 30 April 1962.

After Clint Walker temporarily quit the series "Cheyenne" (1955) over a contract dispute, the producers cast Ty Hardin as Bronco Layne to replace him. The Cheyenne name was kept in the title, however, when Walker returned, "Bronco" (1958) became its own series.

This series was part of "The Cheyenne Show", and rotated each week with both "Cheyenne" (1955) and "Sugarfoot" (1957).

The "Cheyenne" (1955) episode "Duel at Judas Basin" was the only one to feature Hardin, Walker, and Will Hutchins all in the same episode.

Bronco is Spanish for "rough."

Producers had Ty Hardin change his last name from Hungerford to Hardin in reference to the famous gunslinger John Wesley Hardin.

Filming Locations
Laramie Street, Stage 22 & Stage 25, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

[ethanedwards]

Bronco is a Western series on ABC from 1958 through 1962.
It was shown by the BBC in the United Kingdom.
The program starred Ty Hardin as Bronco Layne, a former Confederate officer
who wandered the Old West, meeting such well-known individuals as Wild Bill Hickok,
Billy the Kid, Jesse James, Theodore Roosevelt, Belle Starr, Cole Younger,
and John Wesley Hardin (the latter played by Scott Marlowe).

After Clint Walker temporarily quit the series "Cheyenne" (1955) over a contract dispute,
the producers cast Ty Hardin as Bronco Layne to replace him.
The Cheyenne name was kept in the title, however, when Walker returned,
"Bronco" (1958) became its own series.

This series was part of "The Cheyenne Show",
and rotated each week with both "Cheyenne" (1955) and "Sugarfoot" (1957).

Many of Duke's 'Pals' appeared in this series,
and in fact the cast list reads like a 'who's who' of
character actors and up and coming stars!

Review

Bronco was an oddball in the stable of WB Westerns: it tended to try to portray vaguely accurate historical characters and incidents. Bronco seems to have made the acquaintance of just about every notable character not involved in a Western owned by a different studio or network. Billy the Kid, Jesse James, and so forth, often with inaccurate but interesting spins on character or events. As a former Confederate officer who retained his aging issue hat, Bronco cut an effective figure. A viewing of a recently available video reminded me of the normal 1950s Westerns anachronisms: during the "War of Northern Aggression" there is Captain Lane using an 1873 revolver in 1863. Such problems notwithstanding, these were good examples of the WB Westerns and fine entertainment even today.
Fom IMDb

I remember this series, but perhaps our members,
who considered Bronco as one of their favourites,
would like to add their comments.

[ethanedwards]

I remember this series, but perhaps our members,
who considered Bronco as one of their favourites,
would like to add their comments.

[arthurarnell]

Hi

Yes I remember both Cheyenne and bronco along with Range Rider and many other series of that sort. Must admit I'd never heard of Laredo though, but at about twelve they were good watching.

Regards

Arthur